The new F8’s predecessor, the Pinarello 65.1 Think 2 was a complicated bike. The frame was heavy (more than 1,000 grams with paint and hardware, 920 grams without) and had a dated ride—stiffness forward, somewhat less than smooth and compliant, not notably lively—compared to its WorldTour peers. The shapes of the wiggly fork and seatstays (a design called the Onda) were as divisive as they were distinctive. In what seems like a brain tease, Pinarello claimed that ride symmetry was achieved through frame asymmetry. Even the model name was a word salad.

But the model was also a smashing success. Thousands were sold per year according to Pinarello. The Sky and Movistar teams rode the Dogma to 65 UCI WorldTour wins on their way to becoming the top two ranked WorldTour teams. At the Tour de France, Dogma riders took first, second, and eighth overall, as well as winning the mountains classification. In the World Championships, it was underneath the first- and third-place riders. Not bad for an unusual-looking, heavy, and not-very-lively bike.

And yet for 2015 Pinarello has changed it significantly. The first carbon Dogma was launched in 2009, replacing the magnesium models, and then updated about every other year. But unlike previous revisions, which refined its existing character yet retained its signature profile, the 2015 Dogma represents a new path for the company’s top-end race bike. Even the name gets an overhaul. This is the Dogma F8—for eighth generation of the Dogma nameplate.

The new Dogma fork bows out and loses the recognizable wavy Onda shape. (Matt Phillips)

Such a big break from tradition was necessary, Pinarello said, to achieve the goals it set for the newest Dogma. According to Luciano Fusar Poli, Pinarello’s chief operations officer, Team Sky was instrumental in the development of the new Dogma. (Movistar now rides Canyon bikes.) “The cooperation with the team to develop the bike is more important than ever,” he said.

Sky came up with a four-point wish list: retain the handling of the 65.1 Think 2, increase stiffness, reduce weight, and improve the aerodynamics. Or as Sky team rider Bernhard Eisel said at the F8’s launch in Asolo, Italy, “Make it the same, but make it faster.”

Aerodynamics was just one design consideration, but changes made to reduce drag have significantly altered the Dogma’s appearance. The signature squiggles of the Onda fork and stays are all but eliminated in favor of a more slippery profile that is contemporary, but also a bit anonymous.

Team Sky's Bernie Eisel helped Pinarello present the new F8 to the media. (Courtesy)